Gossip in Forks
by LSRP
Summary: Complement for 'the Story'. A bit of back and side story. Multiple PoV.
1. Charlie Swan

**Charlie Swan**

* * *

Forks has been my home all of my life, as it was to my mother, as it was to her mother. Over the years, I have been there to see some of the kids I grew up with pick up and go to college, only to come back to settle here, the same way that I have watched some go to never return, and even some that have no family here come to make of this little town their home.

One of the advantages of living in a small town is the added weigh that small populations give to the word _Community_. It is because of the interest that we all show for each other that life in this town is as safe as it is. _People that keep secrets are not to be trusted_, my grandma taught me that.

She always talked about how important it was to relay on your community, _they are your friends_. She taught me that sometimes people don't know how to share their good news without being rude or that they are unable to see beyond their own pain to talk about the bad news, so it was ok to help them out. Others should be happy for their neighbors' good fortune, and know when to offer support for their misfortune.

Today, we have elected a new Sheriff. Charles Swan. Charlie. I remember when he first came to Forks. No one even knew that he had bought the old Williams' place, until he drove through town straight to the house, parking his fancy Jeep in the driveway.

Ms. Stevens, next door, swears she was the first to see him, I guess we can't ever know for certain. She told me later that he only had one suitcase and a box with him, and that he had the old Williams' furniture in place when she went knocking at his door that afternoon.

I remember how wary I was when Ms. Stevens told me how polite he was, but she had ended up leaving with no answers to her questions. I had my suspicions, for Ms. Stevens was not the only one to mention such phenomenon, but they were confirmed when I met him at the grocery store that week.

He was definitely polite, but he answered every question with another question, and bluntly ignored every prompting I gave him for him to share. I didn't trust him at all. What was he hiding? Why wouldn't he tell us where he was coming from or anything about his family? I simply didn't trust him.

I was my dear husband John that told me he had seen him asking for a law enforcement job. John's cousin Robert was Fork's Sheriff back then, following in his father's steps. John's uncle Thomas inspired not only his son, but John as well, but it was Robert's military record that got him the job as Sheriff at the end.

Even so, Robert never treated the rest of the deputies or even his cousin with less than complete respect. He was a good Sheriff, and people knew it. Everyone was sad to see him pass.

I remember John telling me back then, how Charles Swan simply stepped into the place and asked to talk to the Sheriff. The closed door of Sheriff Mathews' Office prevented anyone from hearing that conversation, but John said Robert seemed to offer him the job out of utter respect.

According to Melissa, he had some kind of military training from some base in California, one of those with the pretty elegant uniforms. Melissa still has a desk job at the Station, and had taken a peek at Charles Swan file when no one was looking. Maybe that was why the Sheriff had been so keen to have him in Forks. Robert Mathews had also been a military man.

And that's how the newcomer became Deputy Swan.

It wasn't until that trouble with the bears happened 3 years later, and he ended up saving my John's life, that I started to trust the man. He had come at get me, and still wearing his dirty uniform had dragged me out of the house and to the hospital. That was the day I started calling him _Charlie_.

Charlie stayed with me at the hospital all night. It wasn't until John woke up in the morning, right after Charlie had excused himself to get some coffee, that he told me that the bear had caught him when his shotgun jammed and Charlie had taken a thick branch to the head or the bear to get him off my husband before he shot him.

Charlie Swan had taken my husband and rushed him out of the woods and to the hospital without a moment's doubt. I owe that man my husband's life, and that's why I was happy that today he has been made Sheriff.

I am certain this town is safe in the hands of Sheriff Swan, even if he never did answer my questions, I know he is a good man.


	2. Isabella Swan

**Isabella Swan**

**

* * *

**

I hate Mondays. I mean, why can't school start on Tuesday? That way I could sleep longer. But, whatever, I'm here already.

Where is Susie? She wakes me up extra early with this text, saying she has news, and then makes me wait for her. She better hurry up, I don't have time for this. Sure, there is still 15 minutes, but I need to go check my make-up. Damn rain.

Susie finally arrives, and walks briskly to me. She looks excited. What can have her so excited? I mean, this is Forks after all. Nothing exciting ever happens here.

"Pam! You're not going to believe what I heard!"

"I'm listening…"

"I was at the Office on Friday… remember? I had to help Ms. Cope finish filing those papers because of the time Mr. Ross caught me sleeping in his class?... well, that's not important…"

Can't she get to the point already? She always babbles when she's got new gossip. Well, at least we're walking already.

"… and then, guess who walks in! Sheriff Swan! And the room got, like, creepy quiet. You know how that always happens when he shows up. And he always just, like, show up… like, out of nowhere, and he's there! But well, that is how it was on Friday"

Mmm… Sheriff Swan at school? I bet someone is in trouble. I wonder who it was this time. I bet it was that annoying Peter Shultz. Definitely.

"… a niece! Can you believe it?"

Wait, what? "Whose niece?"

"Weren't you listening to me? Sheriff Swan's! Turns out he has a niece no one knew about, and she's coming to live with him here in Forks!"

"I didn't even know he had family. I thought he was an orphan or something like that".

"I thought so too! But, looks like we were wrong. She didn't mention anything about the girl's parents, thought"

Strange.

"Where is she coming from?"

"Mm. He didn't mention that either"

"Weren't you paying attention?" Why is she telling me this if she doesn't even know anything?

"I was! Tell you what. I have to go to the Office again before lunch, so I'll tell you then what I find out. I have to go to Calculus now, or Mr. Varner is gonna sent me to detention again. See you at lunch"

Great. Now I have to wait.

The lunch bell rang 15 minutes ago. Where the heck is Susie? She better have more about this new chick. I need to know if I need to stake my claim on Joseph or not. She better not even look at my man! OK, he's not 'my man', but he will be soon enough.

There is Susie, finally.

"Hey! I know, I know… It took me longer than expected, but I had to goad Mrs. Cope to talk to me. Turns out there's nothing in her file. It doesn't say where is she coming from, it just has all this weird letters and forms, but all of those are from Seattle".

"Maybe she IS from Seattle" That isn't that exciting or complicated. I mean, if the paper say Seattle, then she must be from Seattle.

"But Mrs. Cope said that they were waiting for a copy of her passport. She said that the girl is not even American. She's from Europe or something like that, but Mrs. Cope didn't know from where. The copy arrived by fax while I was there, thou…"

"and… did you see it? What did it say? Where is she from?"

"It turned out to be an American passport".

"I thought you said she WASN'T American!"

"She isn't supposed to be, there was a letter that said that even when she is NOT a resident of this country, she has the nationality. It had all this official stamps an all. Mrs. Cope was gonna show it to the principal when I left, but I don't think anyone really knows where she is from"

"Do you know anything at all?" I was getting annoyed now.

"I know her name…"

"which is…?" Can she be more slow! Say it already! What's with the suspense?

"Isabella Swan"


End file.
